Month: June 2018

Is that a Pickle on My Burger?

There is nothing better than a grilled, juicy burger.  And since I don’t eat them often, I was really looking forward to burger night at this local grill. It was past 7 pm and we were starving; so, when our burgers arrived at the table, I sunk my teeth in quickly. Sadly, it took all of two seconds for me to realize something was off. Ugh…pickles! I recognized their bitter taste immediately.

I always request they be left off and was certain the waiter had heard me.  I don’t even want to see a pickle on my plate for fear the juice would seep into the fries or bun. I love when someone suggests, “Just pick it off.” Pickle lovers don’t realize that it’s too late. The acidic juices have already had time to soak into both burger and bun.  The vinegary residue ruins the whole thing.  I picked them off because I was famished, even though the bitter taste had already pierced my palate.

Isn’t it amazing how a tiny spec of vinegariness can pervade and spoil the entire meal? Following that thought, the smallest amount of bitterness or resentment can permeate our hearts and affect our inner peace.  So, as I pondered a weekly Bible study question, “What impedes your happiness?”  I remembered the pickles. While it was the sliced dills that ruined my dinner, the study asserts that happiness depends on a Who, rather than a what. And that happy people are at total peace with God. Consequently, whatever disrupts our peace, impacts our relationship with Him – our absolute source of happiness.

Hebrews 12:15 warns that “no bitter root spring up to cause trouble.”  Bitterness or anger is a sin, and sin always separates us from God.  So, what bitter root could be hiding within me? My life hasn’t turned out exactly the way I had planned. I’m not sure that anyone really does. I think we all have things we regret or wish for a do-over.  People will wrong you. They will make promises they can’t or won’t keep. They will lie and mislead you, and they will hurt you. This has happened to me, multiple times, as I’m sure it has with others.  Have you ever been told, “What goes around, comes around,” and then you honestly watch and wait to see it happen? You want to see them “get theirs” as some sort of consolation prize for your pain.  That, my friends, is bitterness. It’s the pickle to my heart.

The key to unlocking bitterness is forgiveness. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Matthew, Chapter 5 contains the entire list of Beatitudes or Christ-like attitudes we should strive to emulate. Merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers to name a few. So, instead of keeping a list of “wrongs” running in the background, we are to focus on the list of “rights.” To believe and become more like Christ and leave the rest to God.  This does not mean to count on the “vengeance is mine, says the Lord” verse, but rather surrender your hurts to Him. Blessed are those that mourn, for they will be comforted. 

Picking the pickles off my burger seems melodramatic compared to the task of total forgiveness. To let go of all the wrongs, each and every one of them, and not worry what happens to the so-called offender.  To show mercy and wish them well. It will be like taking a big eraser to my heart. To wipe the pickle juice off my plate and move on. Peace will come as I learn to let go and focus solely on the truly good things in my life. I am blessed, for they are many.

Hebrews 12:15 – Make sure that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and defiling many.

Matthew 5: 3-10 – 3Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted.  5Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

What Cracks you Up?

Just about the time I think my foundational faith is rock solid, I am given a glimpse into the tiny cracks of uncertainly that surround its core.  While my commitment to Christ and who He is remains strong, some weaknesses remain within me.

The past hurts, disappointments, and failures create the sedimentary, or less solid, layers of my foundation. When these layers shift, it leaves me feeling unsettled. I grasp at the crumbling pieces, sliding off my rock, trying to keep it all together, wondering how my faith could be even slightly shaken.

A good friend of mine told me to spend some time in the Word. To pray about what God wants to reveal in me. That just maybe He desires to purge the hurts and heal the brokenness of my past to re-establish or reinforce my faith. This morning, I turned to Hebrews 11, which is the book of faith. The first scripture reads, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”  Sure & Certain=Faith.

I am sure that what I hope for is to breakthrough this phase in life where I feel stuck. Lately, it seems that no matter how hard I try my life’s gear is strongly stuck in neutral. Quite honestly, I’m done with this “wilderness phase” of my life, of this I am sure.  I began to prayerfully ponder the second half of this scripture – to be certain of what we do not see.  I do not and cannot see God, at least not in the physical sense. Although I have often seen God in the beauty He creates.

A couple of years ago, my son and I visited one of God’s most majestic creations on earth: The Grand Canyon. We arrived just in time to watch the sunset over the far rim. The views from our stone porch were breathtaking. No picture we took could do it justice. You must see it yourself.

Early the next morning, we ventured deeper into the canyon, despite my need for a knee brace. The hike down into the canyon was fairly easy while climbing back up the rim proved a bit more challenging. Yet, what made both treks difficult was stepping on the tiny rocks that had eroded over time and fallen on the path. I would grab hold of a branch or to the canyon side to regain my balance until I was onto the next sure-footed step. There were passages along the trail where you did not want to fall. At times, I could feel my son’s strong grasp on my arm to steady me, as he bemoaned about not wanting to watch me airlifted out of the canyon. (He’s a real card, that one.) This trip will always be one of my most cherished memories with my son.

I’ve begun to realize that those pieces of loose dirt that might cause me to stumble or create cracks in my bedrock are exactly what God is trying to release in me. Letting go of the hurt or debris of the past is His way of strengthening my footing and shoring my foundation.  While the shifting rock feels unsettling, I now know this is part of the plan. He alone is my Rock on which to hold while things are shifting.

This brings me back to my Hebrews certainty: It lies in the truth that God exists and that He hears my every prayer. There is no doubt in my mind. My life’s foundation has already been established in God’s promise. He alone knows the plans for my life and has declared so in His word: plans for prosperity, hope, and a future.  My foundational faith now equals Promise, Certainty, and Anticipation.

Hebrews 11:1 –  Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.